With the anniversary of 9/11 a day away, we find ourselves in the midst of a debate on symbols.  What would building a mosque near Ground Zero symbolize?  Is it a sign of weakness, a victory of sorts for a self-declared enemy, or a sign of strength, maintaining a core value despite a sacrifice?  What does burning a Koran mean?  The destruction of an entire faith, or an 8″ fire that destroys a one-in-one-billion copy of a book?  Actions upon or against symbols carry great weight with us human folk.

As Pastor Terry Jones’s controversial “International Burn a Koran Day” approaches, it seems like we have a clear-cut case of not killin’ it. Some say it’s the very contemporary problem of one eccentric individual having too much access to the media, but from Julius Ceasar to Adolph Hitler what has history been but a collection of big personalities pushing us along in one direction or another?  (Side note: Has anyone noticed that the potential WWIII instigator pastor from Gainsville looks a lot like Yosemite Sam?  Definite argument for the idea that face is fate.)  More generally, this seems like a case of good old-fashioned Iconoclasm. The Christians did it to the Pagans, the Muslims did it to the Buddhists, the Anglicans did it to the Catholics. So when are you killin’ it as an iconoclast and when are you not killin’ it? I’m reminded of the modern-day iconoclast Alexander Brener, spray-painting a dollar sign on Kasmir Malevich’s suprematist painting while it hung in Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum. Brener’s gesture was powerful and direct, suggesting that the original, spiritual intention of Malevich’s work had been hijacked and corrupted by contemporary capitalism. That’s killin’ it, I’d say!   Some even say that the meaning and notoriety of the vandalism actually added to the monetary value of the painting! Now compare this to the 9-11 hijackers attacking another symbol of capitalism – the World Trade Towers – which has only brought increasing returns of chaos all around. And now we have this alarmingly unsettled Quran burning situation in Gainsville. Yesterday, Rev. Terry Jones said he would not do it after getting a promise that the Mosque would be moved away from its planned site near the trade towers.  Later in the day, however, when he stated that the promise had been false and that he had been tricked, he said he was again considering going through with the burning.  Jones seems to be looking for a sign- maybe a symbol- from God – his God- to tell him what to do. So if you have your mind set on creating symbolic destructive gesture at the same time your’re looking for a sign, you may be in danger of getting your signals crossed. You can’t create a sign and look for a sign at the same time.  Working against yourself = not killin’ it.

Here’s what Killin’ It is:  Jones meets with Imam Muhammad Musri.  He hands Musri a bible, Musri hands him a Koran.  They each violently rip the pages out and hand them to each other.  Then they spend a couple hours with a glue stick putting the Bible’s pages into the Koran’s cover, and the Koran’s pages into the Bible’s covers.   Two people, followed by millions who share their animosity and blame, could in one simple second grade arts and crafts session create something the world has never seen before.  Sometimes the most courageous act is the most childish one.  So let’s keep on killin’ it and be sure to avoid a World War 3!

pastor terry jones and yosemite sam - separated at birth?

pastor terry jones and yosemite sam - separated at birth?